Need help wiring up home network using CAT5e STP.

[grimreaper1014]

Hello,

I have a lot of stuff around my house causing EMI. I have ordered CAT5E STP to redo the wiring in my house. I have never used STP before. My router came with a CAT5e STP patch cable. I have also noticed around the ports on the back of the router there is metal outlining them. There are also little metal tabs that extend from the outlining metal down into each port on both sides. I would assume this is for using STP? Will my router provide the ground? I would think this would be the case since it came with a STP cable right?

The way I was planning on wiring up the house was to use a piece of CAT5e STP from the (NID) telephone box where it will be grounded to a RJ11 keystone jack. Then, I would connect a telephone cable from the RJ11 jack to the DSL port on my modem. From the WAN port on the modem I will be using a 35ft CAT5e STP cable to my router. From the router I will have another CAT5e STP 35ft cable to my Xbox 360. Finally, I will have a CAT5e STP 7ft cable from the router to my desktop. Is this setup going to work? If not what do I have to do so these cables will be properly grounded?

Thank you,
Rocky

 

[tmbrown97]

My first question is, do you know you need that? What caused you to believe you need STP? I've dealt with in-building wiring for well over 15 years and never encountered a building that needed it. That said, I do use a lot of STP and FTP (foil-wrapped shielded twisted pair), but it's for heavy RF environments and outdoors where lightning related static causes issues. The only reason I could see it being used in a residential environment is if the ethernet was run parallel to AC lines excessively.

That said, the jacks on the router sound right, but without the make/model of the router, I can't confirm anything. As far as STP goes, generally you only need one end grounded - as long as one end is grounded it'll drain. In fact, there's a part of me that recalls a minute potential for problems with different grounds connected at the same time, such as a minor voltage potential - but one of the electrical engineers can speak to that better than I. I don't know it's an issue worth caring about.

To test your router if you're really not sure, use a voltmeter to see if you have ground via those tabs - you should with zero resistance. If that's the case, plugging an STP connector in there will make contact grounding the shield...

But back to my original question - why do you believe you need this? I've literally *never* heard of it being needed in a residential environment... back up a few steps and let us know how you came to this conclusion and maybe we can find the real issue.

 

[hagak]

Possible he is a HAM operator. That could potentially induce unwanted noise. But even then doubtful. In industrial applications only place I have seen a need is runs near very large motors, such as drive motors for conveyer belts.

 

[hagak]

Forgot to mention many consumer gear does not support STP in that it is not grounded. Also if the system is not grounded correctly you can produce a ground loop that causes more issues than not having STP.

 

[wuench]

I agree with the above, STP is likely not needed. First you should check your devices for physical errors (PC's and switches if they support it) netstat -e. That could be an indication of a bad cable, bad port, bad NIC, or possibly interference. If you see errors on specific connections, reterminate, then try to replace the cable, swap switch ports, then maybe the physical device (NIC/Switch), all before you attempt to upgrade to STP.

If you don't see physical errors then upgrading to STP and trying to deal with all the issues and expense will do nothing to help you. STP is rarely used, even in industrial/commercial environments and even then it is usually overkill or should have been done with fiber. The only time i've ever seen it was when we were ripping it out.

 

[tmbrown97]

It's required by some manufacturers for outdoor radios and equipment - so I use it... but it's to protect against ESD. Check out Ubiquiti ToughCable Level 2 - crazy stuff - armored with the crosshatch like what's around coax; then foil wrapped, with a bare copper drain wire... I have a couple boxes for outdoor cable runs.

That said, no reason to use anything like that indoors!

 

[drvnbysound]

Forgot to mention many consumer gear does not support STP in that it is not grounded. Also if the system is not grounded correctly you can produce a ground loop that causes more issues than not having STP.

This is exactly what I was thinking...

The OP didn't list a manufacturer/model of the network gear used, but it's pretty easy to look at the power plug and determine if there is a ground pin there... but as you said, most likely not.

 

[grimreaper1014]

Hey guys thanks for all your replies. I have just got a chance to check out this post. My ISP has moved me to some new equipment at the central office which there was some confusion that resulted in a big mess with my connection. Also, I have been really busy lately. Anyways the reason I need STP is because as Work2Play mentioned my ethernet cables run excessively along AC lines. The main cable goes from the NID through a brick wall in my garage over around the fuse box where there are many AC lines. There are lines for the garage doors, lighting, among other things. Another thing is there is a motion light we have that I think could be causing a problem. My friend works for the telco providing my DSL connection. He took a look at things and noticed a lot of interference on the lines in the house. That being said he recommended running STP.

I have actually already placed the order for the cables, and I received them yesterday morning. So far I have ran a piece of shielded CAT5e from the NID to a RJ11/RJ12 keystone jack in my basement. I grounded the drain wire in the NID only. I then connected my modem to the jack, and I have already notice an increase in signal. I have also noticed that the CRC errors I was getting in the modem are gone. Therefore, that issue is solved. Now onto the router and the connections to the computers. My router is Netgear WNR3500Lv2. This router came with a STP CAT5e patch cable. As I have also mentioned the ports are outlined in metal, and have metal tabs that would touch the sides of the shielded cables. However, there is no ground prong on the plug. Netgear told me though that STP cables would work though. I do have it plugged into a single plug surge protector. Will this make any difference? If not what options do I have? There is no turning back now. I already have the cables.

 

[tmbrown97]

Using STP won't cause any problems; but unless properly grounded/drained, they won't do any good either.

You fixed an issue it sounds like - do you have more issues?

 

[grimreaper1014]

I only ran the one line from the NID to a RJ11/RJ12 keystone jack so far. The end that is in the NID is grounded. I held off on running a shielded cable from the modem to the router, and from the router to the computers. Due to the fact I don't know if they will be grounded or not because the power supply for the router doesn't have a ground prong. I'm trying to figure out if since the router has metal around the WAN and LAN ports if I plug the modem into a grounded surge protector will it cause my STP CAT5e cables to be grounded as well? Above they said the router would have ot have a ground plug in order to properly utilize shielded cables. So I'm trying to figure out if if the surge protector will do the job.